A Fundamental Baptist Church on McCool Road
Emmanuel Baptist Church has stood on McCool Road in the South Haven area of Valparaiso, Indiana, since 1963. What began as a small gathering has grown into a thriving congregation with an average attendance of more than 200, and high days of over 400. The church describes itself in plain terms: a friendly, independent, fundamental Baptist church that still preaches from the King James Version, still sings the old songs, still stands for absolute truth, and still believes that God has the answers for every problem. For newcomers, the welcome is equally plain. If a person is looking for a church that still feels like church and strives to glorify God in every service, program, and activity, they are invited to come check it out.
The church sits in the unincorporated community of South Haven, just south of Valparaiso in Porter County. A map link and the church's Facebook page make it easy to find and follow. Giving is available online through a PayPal link on the home page.
Three Services on Sunday and a Wednesday Night for Everyone
Sunday at Emmanuel is structured around three services and a graded Sunday School hour. The Early Morning Service begins at 8:30 a.m. Sunday School meets at 9:45 a.m., the main Morning Service at 10:45 a.m., and an Evening Service at 6:00 p.m. The schedule continues on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m., when the church opens its doors to three groups at once: an Adult Bible Study, the Kids Master Club for children in K4 through sixth grade, and a Teen Youth Group for seventh through twelfth graders. That same Wednesday-night block has been the church's midweek anchor for years, and it is the easiest way for a family to get connected.
On Friday nights at 7:00 p.m., Reformers Unanimous meets in the church building. The Christ-centered program is directed at people struggling with addictions, and it points participants back to the support of a local church.
Every Age Group in Sunday School and the Master Club
Children and students are a first concern at Emmanuel, and the ministries reflect that. The Sunday School is fully graded, with a class at every age level teaching the Bible at a level that fits. Children's Church is offered during the main services for Beginners, Primary, and Junior departments, and a well-staffed nursery is available for babies and toddlers in every service.
The Master Club meets on Wednesday nights and runs alongside the adult Bible study. It is a structured discipleship and achievement program for children in K4 through sixth grade, designed to train young people and equip them for God's service. The Teen Youth Group meets at the same hour, with a calendar that includes soulwinning, Bible Quizzing, camp, team competitions, social activities, and service projects. Junior and Senior High are grouped separately so that each age has a program that matches where they are.
The Choir and the Music of the Old Songs
Music is central to who Emmanuel is. The church has an Adult Choir, a Youth Group Choir, several special groups, and seasonal programs and cantatas throughout the year. Charles Lail, the church's Music Director, oversees all of it, and the style is deliberate: the church still sings the old songs, and the music is meant to serve the preaching rather than replace it.
Emmanuel Baptist Academy, K4 Through Twelfth Grade
In 2000, Emmanuel Baptist Church started a Christian school. Emmanuel Baptist Academy is a traditional Christian school that serves students from K4 through twelfth grade, and it operates as a ministry of the church. Charles Lail, who came to EBC in 1999 and began serving full time in 2000, was the academy's first administrator and continues in that role alongside his work as Church Administrator and Music Director. The school is a natural extension of the church's belief that children should be taught the Bible at every age, and several of the church's ministries feed into the school and vice versa.
Beliefs: Independent, Baptist, and Bible-Only
Emmanuel Baptist Church is explicit about its identity. It is an independent church and does not belong to a convention or association of churches. It is a Baptist church that holds the historic Baptist distinctives: the verbal inspiration of the Bible, the priesthood of the believer, the separation of church and state, believer's baptism by immersion, the autonomy of the local church, and regenerate church membership. It is a Biblicist church, meaning that what it believes and teaches is taken from the Word of God. It is a separated church that stands apart from apostate groups and rejects New Evangelicalism. It is an evangelistic church that takes Acts 1:8 as a charge for every member. And it is a missionary church that supports men sent out to establish churches around the world. Senior Pastor John C. Allen has served on the board of the Indiana Fundamental Baptist Fellowship since 2014, and on the board of the Indiana Association of Christian Schools since 2009.
What Must I Do to Be Saved?
The church answers that question directly, and the answer page is one of the most read parts of the site. Salvation, the church teaches, is as short and simple as the question that prompted it. Acts 16:31 records the Philippian jailer asking Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Their reply: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Faith, the church explains, is not something a person does but something a person receives. The essentials of saving faith are few: Jesus was the promised Messiah, He lived a sinless life, He died on the cross as a sacrifice for sin, He rose from the grave, and He lives today to save. The church points readers to John 1:12, John 3:14-15, John 3:36, John 6:47, Acts 13:38-39, and Romans 10:13 as supporting texts, and it offers a sample prayer of repentance and faith. Anyone who prays that prayer is invited to email the church at ebcsh@frontier.com so the staff can follow up with next steps for growing as a Christian.
Reaching the Community: Bus Ministry and Soulwinning
Outreach is built into the church's regular calendar. A Bus Ministry provides area-wide transportation for Sunday services, picking up children and families who would otherwise have no way to get to church. Weekly soulwinning opportunities give church members a structured way to take the gospel door to door. Reformers Unanimous, which meets Friday nights, reaches people in the grip of addiction with the message of Christ and the support of a local church. Together these ministries reflect the church's conviction that Acts 1:8 belongs to every member, not just to the pastor.
Annual Rhythms: Harvest Sunday, VBS, and Family Revival
Several annual gatherings mark the church calendar. Harvest Sunday is a fall event built around flannel shirts, an uplifting service, a chili cook-off, a pie bake-off, hay rides, pumpkin painting, a bounce house, s'mores at a bonfire, a kids candy scramble, kids games, and a cornhole competition. Vacation Bible School runs for one week each summer, and recent years have featured themed programs such as "Emerald Crossing," an Ireland-themed VBS for children from age 4 through eighth grade that runs Sunday through Thursday from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. and is free to attend. Family Revival is a weekend event hosted with the staff of Camp Joy from Whitewater, Wisconsin, with sessions for adults, children, and teens running Friday evening, all day Saturday, and into Sunday services. Each fall, the church also hosts a Civil Servants Sunday, an evening service that invites federal, state, judicial, county, and township officeholders and candidates to attend, and the congregation prays for those who serve the community in public office. Refreshments follow the service.
Pastors and Staff
Pastor John C. Allen has been Senior Pastor since 1992. He holds a bachelor's degree from Hyles-Anderson College (1986) and a Master of Ministry from Bob Jones University (2000). He and his wife Cyndi have been married since 1986 and have two adult sons. Under his leadership, the church has grown from about 50 people to its current size, expanded its property and ministries, and founded Emmanuel Baptist Academy.
Charles Lail serves as Church Administrator, Music Director, and Academy Administrator. A graduate of Hyles-Anderson College and Pensacola Christian College (M.A.), he has been in full-time ministry since 1994, came to EBC in 1999, and started Emmanuel Baptist Academy in 2000.
Pastor Brian Berkowitch is the Assistant Pastor. He was led to the Lord by his parents at age five, was called to preach at nineteen, and graduated from Bible college in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Theology. He and his wife Miriam have four sons. God led the Berkowitch family to Emmanuel in the fall of 2022, and Brian has served as Assistant Pastor since the summer of 2023.
Evangelist Matthew Barber is the Staff Evangelist. Raised in a pastor's home, he placed his faith in Christ at seven and surrendered to the gospel ministry as a teenager. After Bible college he married his wife Chelsey, and they have five children. He pastored Woodridge Baptist Church in Woodridge, Illinois, for thirteen years before moving into full-time evangelism in August 2021, and he joined the staff at Emmanuel in January 2022. His ministry travels are documented at matthewdbarber.com.
Getting in Touch
The church building is at 760 McCool Road, Valparaiso, IN 46385. The phone number is 219-759-3317, and the email address is ebcsh@frontier.com. A contact form is available on the contact page, and a Google Map is embedded on the home page for directions. The church can be followed on its Facebook page.